Darkened Paths
by Lady lms
Summary: Sora and Riku meet Kairi after she comes to their island but she warns of a terrible darkness that she carries that must be destroyed. Will Sora and Riku be strong enough to resist the darkness to the end of their journey?
1. Never Ending

Falling. . . Endless darkness all around swallowing her body. Warmth in her chest fleeting and being replaced by a chill. Fingers beginning to turn into icicles, legs stiffen. Thick air turning her whole body into transparent liquid as the rushing air goes through every pore of her being. Yet she still falls on, and all she can do is breath.  
  
'Where am I? What's happening to me?'  
  
No answer from the darkness or herself can satisfy her so she stares on into the darkness with glassy topaz eyes. All she can hear is her shortened breath and the snap of her skirt in the rushing wind. She feels weight less, a mere feather at the will of a rushing wind.  
  
As if by some chance, a light opens up below her tearing a hole in the darkness and illuminating her body's outline. Her topaz eyes do not see the light but her liquid body can feel it. The light slowly evaporates the sweat and her body becomes solid again.  
  
'Let me fall on. . .'  
  
Golden rays of light engulf her body and in one quick sharp pain she lands on her back. The darkness is no longer surrounding her, instead the air is light and filled with vapors from the ocean. All her topaz eyes take in is the blood red sky and the swaying tree that rustles it's oversized leaves in the salty wind. She stays still.  
  
'Why did it have to stop here?'  
  
~^~^~^~  
  
Peacefully Sora and Riku sat on the soft grains of sand laughing about their adventures of past times as the rays of the afternoon sun softened into deep lush reds and oranges. Riku's hair became vibrantly colored canvus with splashes of reds and oranges. With the sun going down behind his head he seemed to be the only thing around for miles that was still set ablaze. Sora's blue eyes sparkled in the last rays of light as his youthful laughter made his stomach bulge and retract in his red overalls and his stretched out his pale legs.  
  
Riku stopped laughing to look at Sora with his silver green eyes. Something about the way they reacted to each other didn't feel right anymore. Untold hate has nestled itself deep into Riku's soul waiting to be unleashed. Just waiting for that one spark. . . and it came.  
  
First the twilight hid the streaking light in it's orange and red layers but then the trail of speckled dust became more visible in the growing darkness of the night. The spot of light blinked as it created an arching trail behind it. Then the light made a sharp downturn to the west side of the island as the dust trail in the sky faded out into darkness as each tiny little piece of light fell softly to the ground like a snowflake on a winter day. The larger light that had burned out once it went over the hilly terrain.  
  
"What in the world. . ." Sora thought allowed as he jumped up to his feet. The speckled light fell to the ground in golden drops of rain warming Sora and Riku's skin as it fell upon it and disappeared.  
  
"What do you suppose that was?" Riku questioned as he lifted his eyes to the now golden sky filled with the raindrops. His green eyes now held both silver and gold in them as they shimmered with each passing drop.  
  
"I have no idea but it landed somewhere over there, we better check it out in case." Sora replied  
  
While making their way over to the place where the light had landed the raindrops stopped falling softly down from the sky leaving no trace of their existence. The only ones that had survived were in gathered in Sora's jutting brown spikes on top of his head. He wore a crown of golden nestled light.  
  
Riku and Sora scrounged around the shrubs and bushes looking for meteor pieces but when their eyes fell on the red headed girl their mood changed. Her body lay limp in a large crater with sand sprinkled on her pink-laced skirt and bleach white top that seemed to glow in the darkness. Eyes still open, she only laid there allowing her stomach to rise and fall softly from time to time.  
  
"What. . .is it?" Sora asked peeking out from the bushes at the girl who still laid silent.  
  
"It's a girl." Riku replied getting up. He walked to the edge of the huge sand hole the girl laid in and looked down at her. Even if it was dark he could make out every curve on her body and could see her shining topaz eyes.  
  
"Hello down there?" Sora asked as he took Riku's side. With the sound of his voice the girl lifted her leg off the sand to bend and rest it in an upward position so that it made a triangle with the ground.  
  
'Leave now. . .leave.'  
  
"Can we help you?" Riku added still watching the girls body closely. No more movement came from the girl.  
  
Sora shrugged, "Maybe we should take her back to your house and see if we can help her there."  
  
"Good idea, go back to my place and get the bandages. You know where they are."  
  
Sora sprinted off into the dark night and disappeared into the thick black but Riku stayed by the side of the dip the girl had created. Looking softly into the girls green topaz eyes something in his mind seemed to unlock senses untapped before. His body reacted to this by sliding down the side of the divot and leaning next to the girl who just stared up at him continuously.  
  
Tears started to fill her eyes like glass turning to liquid. Her lips parted as she whispered something but Riku only heard rushing air. He leaned down further so that his silver eyes could look straight back into her glassy topaz ones and slid his hands gently under her neck and the bend of her legs.  
  
"Your going to be just fine, we'll help you." Riku reassured lifting her from the sand. Soft grains of light that fell with her body from the sky trickled off her body joining the grains of sand below her illuminating once more to only be buried by the cool grains. They lit Riku's path along the sand all the way back to his house.  
  
All the girl could to was stare up at Riku's sliver eyes sadly knowing this was not the place for the darkness she held within. Her heart ached knowing that she would need assistance on her long journey. . .but in the end it could claim her life.  
  
'I will not let them get caught up in this. . .this is my burden to carry and I must do it alone. I can't let my heart fail now. . .' 


	2. Goodbye forever?

Laying her head back on the table, the red headed girl let her eyes fall on Sora's sparkling blue eyes for the first time. She looked into the glassy pools of his eyes and felt a little wave a relief. Darkness had laid a heavy blanket over her skin and eyes so the world was blurred and felt cold but it slowly lifted as the itchy sterile band aids were applied.  
  
'Who are you? Why do I feel like I know you?'  
  
Riku dabbed her neck softly trying to make her as comfortable on the granite table as possible but the kitchen surroundings even made him uneasy. His silver eyes flashed back and forth like the flashing scales of fish watching Sora's graceful movements.  
  
"Can you tell us you name at least?" Sora asked as he put the last band-aid on her leg softly. His hands were so gentle, soft and loving like a small child's. He lifted his blue eyes to meet the girl's now brightly shining topaz ones and smiled warmly, "Guess not."  
  
"I'm Kairi." The girl spoke weakly still only moving her eyes to meet his stare.  
  
"I'm Riku, that's Sora." Riku introduced back putting the swab he was using back in the container.  
  
'Sora. . .I have heard of you before.'  
  
"Why did you. . ." Sora started but stopped himself short knowing he should leave it alone.  
  
Kairi looked up at Riku's back turning her head a bit and then placed her weight on her elbows to stand but only got up to her waist. "I have to go." She groaned.  
  
Riku turned and placed his two strong hands supportively on her back and advised, "You better stay here." Kairi looked at him with a look of desperation, red bangs creating a thicket over he green eyes.  
  
"Stay until your healed." Sora added.  
  
"I will never be healed fully. . ." Kairi replied gazing down to her shoes. Her hair created a curtain between Riku and her but Sora saw the deep pain she had endured by the fading topaz in her eyes.  
  
"There is something that is hurting you. . .something trails you not letting you sleep." Sora spoke softly interpreting her glance.  
  
Kairi slowly lifted her eyes and delicately displaced the curtain between Riku and her behind her ear. Swinging her body from the granite table she stood between the two friends not looking at either one of them and replied, "So you know then. . ."  
  
"I don't know, I guessed."  
  
Standing and listing to their discussion made Riku feel excluded so he chimed in, "Where did you come from?"  
  
"A dark place. . . a place already consumed by darkness."  
  
"Where is that?" Riku asked digging in further to the information.  
  
Kairi looked at him harshly, her eyes fading from topaz to have a glinting red in them. "That's not important, it's what I have brought here that should worry you."  
  
Riku and Sora moved their eyes to meet on another's stare as they searched for answers. Neither one had enough courage to ask Kairi what she had meant. Sora knew in his heart something bad would happen with the arrival of the star.  
  
Letting out a small sigh Kairi blinked once returning her eyes back into the soft topaz color they were before. "I can't explain to you where I came from or what I have brought here because if I told you you'd have to be involved. They would come for you too."  
  
"Who would?" Sora asked hastily.  
  
Kairi looked at him sadly and replied, "Others from different worlds try to kill me not understanding my mission. . .then there are the heartless. Slaves to darkness and sworn to follow their master's wishes. I have something their master wants therefore they follow me relentlessly."  
  
Rolling the white wrapping tape around on his finger Riku comprehended this still showing no emotions. Only his silver eyes reflected any sign of color in contrast to his white hair and now opaque skin color.  
  
"So they will be coming here?" Sora asked a little alarmed.  
  
"I am here. . .they will come here." Kairi answered sullenly.  
  
"Then we fight them and protect you." Riku bravely added tossing the tape into his other hand and juggled it back.  
  
"Fight with what Riku? Our wooden swords?" Sora asked sarcastically.  
  
Kairi sighed, "The only way you two can help me is to get me out of here before it's too late. We must wait until they strike here on the island. If I leave they have to follow in order to see where I went, then they will not take over your island. I will make sure I keep them on the move in order to keep worlds safe."  
  
"Worlds?" Sora stopped her as her mouth opened for another sentence. "What other worlds?"  
  
"Sora there are other worlds out there, this island is not the only one. I stayed too long in my home. . .I caused the death of. . ." Kairi started but then bit back tears.  
  
"Hey. . ." Riku comforted as he draped an arm around Kairi's slender shoulders squeezing softly. "Just don't think about it, Sora and I have you covered."  
  
Sora smiled at her again and added, "Why don't you get some rest?"  
  
~  
  
Spring quickly turned into summer and the arrival of the young girl on a star faded into the actuality of Kairi. She had adapted to the island life and grown close to her two brave rescuers. Even if the darkness loomed closer each day, Kairi forgot of the danger that looked for her, too caught up with the summer.  
  
She would sit on the rocks watching the sparkling ocean under the blazing sun in the afternoon, her topaz eyes taking in the view burning it to her memory. This afternoon though dark rain clouds bulged their bellies out promising rain to come.  
  
Walking up slowly, Sora saw Kairi sitting on the rocks and smiled. He loved watching her sit there until the last ray of light was glinted out to the stars and moon. This afternoon though she had a strange essence about her, her body was painted in gray light but her eyes glowed brightly like lanterns. She was the only splash of light on the beach for the sun seemed to give the landscape color, but not Kairi.  
  
Turning her head, Kairi spotted Sora and waved calling, "Come sit with me!"  
  
Sora took the invitation happily and plopped himself down next to her on the sand looking at her with his cool blue eyes.  
  
'Those eyes stare at me like empty black holes, sucking me in slowly. Why must you look at me that way?'  
  
Suddenly tiny raindrops began to fall around them but they did not break eye contact. Sora's face became speckled with transparent freckles but Kairi's topaz eyes enchanted him into a daze. Kairi too fell into a daze as her hair became more dense and stuck on her face like red paint. The rain then pounded on them harder crying for their attention but nothing would break Sora's eye contact with her.  
  
Lifting her face to the sky Kairi noted, "It's raining."  
  
Sora too lifted his face but closed his eyes letting the raindrops leave salty trails down his skin.  
  
Kairi then moved her eyes to see Sora's moment of contentment and she giggled.  
  
'Everything about you is so pure, you refuse to grow up and it makes you an enchanting person.'  
  
Kairi moved up from the sand and replied, "I am finding a place to get out of the rain, want to come?"  
  
A shiver from the cool breeze that now set the raindrops in motion ran through Sora's body. He also got up and looked around to spot the old bamboo shack on the beaches edge. "There, it's a nice place to stay." Sora suggested pointing.  
  
Kairi nodded and ran over to it, Sora trailing at her heels. Once up to the door though, it refused to open.  
  
"This thing always gets stuck." Sora sighed pushing all his body weight against it.  
  
"I'll help." Kairi offered pushing her weight on the door also. The creaking door finally gave way and the two went toppling in to he dark center of the shack and with one slam of the door they were consumed by darkness.  
  
Sora landed half on Kairi, his stomach being laid across her legs and her back to the ground. Kairi let out her quiet laugh as she relied what happened.  
  
"Well that didn't go as planned." Sora chuckled.  
  
"No it didn't." Kairi agreed. She slid her smooth legs out from under Sora so he was forced to stand once again.  
  
Sora was also quick to note that the door has once again gotten stuck trapping them inside until Riku realized they were gone, which they both agreed wouldn't be anytime soon.  
  
The shack filled their silences with the soft tapping og the rain on the outside of it and the musky smell inside. The dark around them was so deep that neither of them could see each other except for small leaks of gray lights.  
  
"So. . ." Sora stuttered wanting to fill the silence with something else. The wind's howling reminded him of a shrill woman singing a sad song of despair.  
  
"It's a little cold in here." Kairi pointed out as she shivered. Her body blanked with salt water caught the wind's chill making her feel porous.  
  
"Well um. . ." Sora thought and then removed his hooded jacket, "here." He stretched it out to the darkness not knowing where Kairi stood. Then a warmth fell on his back softly creating itself into a female body form but as soon as it touched his arm a ripple of fright sent it away from his back.  
  
"Sorry I thought you were the wall." Kairi admitted grateful Sora could not see her blushing in the darkness.  
  
"Don't worry, it's dark." Sora replied but as soon as he turned and took a step to hand her the jacket, his foot caught her rain-coated leg and he fell. He didn't hit the cold ground however; he landed on top of a warm body.  
  
He could feel her stomach bulge for a gasp on his and felt the rush of air on his neck for her breath. Her body was not distorted by her clothing because they had become another layer of skin by the rain. Sora sat up quickly moving away from the warmth unwillingly.  
  
"Sorry didn't know you were on the ground."  
  
"That's ok, I tripped." Kairi explained wanting to say more but something caught her eyes. Tow round yellow eyes swayed in the dark depths.  
  
"Well um what do we do now to entertain ourselves?"  
  
"Sora. . ." Kairi whispered softly. Sora turned his head so a slash of gray light ran down his face dimming his eye color.  
  
"What?" he whispered back sensing urgent danger.  
  
"Do you see them too?"  
  
"See what?"  
  
Kairi's long fingers instantly shot up and curled around his chain necklace and brought him to his knees so he could witness the hypnotic swaying yellow eyes. He breathed softly and replied in a shaky voice, "What is it?"  
  
"It's. . ." Kairi stuttered, "Them. . ."  
  
The set of eyes swayed back and forth still but it was joined by other sets of eyes that popped up in the darkness. In rhythm they swayed creating rows of yellow lines before them.  
  
"What do we do?" Sora asked still in a whisper.  
  
'Why did they have to come for me now. . .why now. ."  
  
Kairi just breathed as her world blurred at the edges. The swaying yellow eyes burned desire into her heart. Desire to use the one thing they wanted so badly.  
  
"Kairi?" Sora asked hearing her heavy breaths but with no response once again he knew something was wrong. "Kairi come with me!"  
  
Sora grabbed Kairi's hand and snapped her to her feet. This seemed to bring her back into the moment but her eyes slowly began to flicker a soft red in the darkness.  
  
They ran together up the stairs but only to be met with another locked door. So\ora pressed his back to the door using his feet to push but nothing happened. Kairi was focused on the stairs that were slowly becoming illuminated with yellow eyes.  
  
Kairi gasped feeling a strange overpowering feeling come over her. She stepped back and fell by force of her wobbling legs and as a reaction Sora opened his arms to catch Kairi's weak body. As soon as she hit his chest, he continued to fall backwards with her and in one cold rush they both fell through the door.  
  
Rain washed over their bodies once again washing the fear away. Sora landed under Kairi so he looked up into her frightened topaz eyes. His arms rested just above her waist and both their chests competed for breathing room.  
  
"We must. . .get out of here. . .they are here for me" Kairi airily said, her face becoming pale.  
  
Sora nodded understanding the danger and got to his feet at once. He then helped Kairi to her feet and took her hand confidently.  
  
"Don't worry. Riku said we will protect you and we will."  
  
Kairi's eyes widened in terror, "Riku! Where is he?"  
  
Sora looked around at the gray landscape and shrugged, "Must be at his house. . .why?"  
  
Kairi tugged his arm in that directing harshly, "The Island is being consumed! We have to save him. . .I am not letting two people dear to me die!"  
  
Just as Sora's arm was literally about to fall off because of her tugging a big pool of black goo streaked with purple formed out in front of them. Kairi skidded to a stop as Sora was flung to one foot to balance himself from falling in. She looked at the pool with hate but she closed her eyes softly feeling the desire again but this time stronger than before.  
  
"Kairi?" Sora asked looking at her again after gaining his balance once again. When she opened her eyes to meet his stare though her topaz eyes had transformed their color into scarlet red.  
  
"Find Riku and get out of here!" She cried but groaned in pain as she held her forehead hunching her body over.  
  
"Not with out you!" Sora replied grabbing her hand again. This time he ran round the black spot on the sand pulling the reluctant Kairi behind him.  
  
As they ran along the sand a wave of black followed after them licking at Kairi's feet trying to curl it's dark coils around her to drag her in. Sora ran at full speed towards Riku's house unsure if it was even safe there.  
  
"Sora!"  
  
The voice was famillar and very welcomed at the moment because as Sora turned his head from his path he saw Riku waving to them. His hair had now been painted into a light gray according to his surroundings and he seemed to be waving them over, his silver eyes still full of hope.  
  
"Riku! We are coming!" Sora called back turning his course to be set right towards Riku who was waving them into a cavernous area.  
  
Sora ran with fury even if his legs burned and each muscle begged him to stop. His adrenaline kept him going but his awareness of Kairi's reluctance was also at the back of his mind too. He turned to look back at Kairi but this only allowed him to get a glimpse of what brought them both down to the sand. The dark wave had extended it's fingers onto Kairi's ankle and brought her down along with Sora.  
  
They both hit the sand but just as they did it no longer was sand, it became a glassy surface of place in which they both could see their reflection in a shade of purple. Sora's eyes widened in horror at his reflection and looked back to see Kairi's body slowly being devoured by the twisting black goo that dripped it's fingers on her body dragging her on the glassy surface.  
  
"Sora!" Kairi cried as one last flash of topaz crossed her eyes in the scarlet they had become but it faded and her out stretched hand became somewhat limp as she was subdued to the darkness taking her.  
  
Sora jutted his hand backwards instantly grabbing her limp hand and squeezing tightly. He pulled with all his might but this only brought him closer to the black goo. He knew one of them must suffer the fate of being devoured. With one swing with all his strength backing it up Kairi was flung from the goo as she slid along the glassy surface near where Riku was standing. Sora was then plunged into the groping goo and was in it waist deep.  
  
Kairi stopped her spin on the glassy surface facing Sora. He was desperately grabbing at the air in front of him, his face squinting with his burden of survival.  
  
"Sora!" Kairi wailed.  
  
"Get to safety Kairi! They want you not me! Run!"  
  
Blinking, Kairi opened her topaz eyes to see Sora digging his hands into the glassy surface to no avail. He was going to be taken in to the darkness not knowing what lie waiting to meet him. 


End file.
